I was thinking of making something like Linda Z's Piccalilli or NCHFP's Rummage relish so I will have some firmer things in there, like green tomatoes and snap beans. I don't have cabbage.

I could do just a cucumber relish though, if older cukes (not wrinkled or soft but a little bendy) are OK. We went to a ball game and DH put relish on his hot dog - we've been married almost 25 years and I never knew he liked relish! He doesn't like sweet pickles though - I have no idea what the relish in the big containers (Heinz I believe) at the stadium is like but probably dill?

I'm going to have to grind these since they've been in the fridge a while, also have a few slicers to throw in. The slicers have not done well all summer, have some big in the middle and skinny/shriveled on the end, incomplete pollination? Though we have plenty of bees and wasps. I might need to seed those.

All my cucumbers are shriveled on the blossom end. But we less than an inch of rain from July 4 until the day before yesterday. We couldn't water them enough to plump them out evenly.

I just don't know if they get bitter as they sit, I don't mind it when they're fresh.

The others are a mix of Bush Champion and Straight 8 - I forget which are which. 1 plant is totally dead, I have to pull it b/c tomorrow is trash day (also 1 zuke looks like SVB did it in, others are looking OK even with some PM they've perked up in the dry weather - though it started last week with some heavy dews).

It's already getting sticky out there even though it's only 77 - I have to finish pruning tomatoes to get the foliage in the trash.

At least tomorrow should be cooler (today will hit 88 with "feels like" temp of 93). I'll get to the relish then (spent last night blanching and freezing green beans and will have more to do tonight - have been sitting in the fridge since Monday).

It is sweet pickle relish. That is the most common kind seen at public locations and the one used most frequently on hot dogs and such. But it isn't as sweet as sweet pickles.

It is easy to make, NCHFP and BB has a good recipe for it that is almost identical to the Heinz recipe. And no you don't normally peel the cukes just scrub them well. Or you peel in strips as Malna mentioned as you need at least some of the peel for proper texture. It is an ideal way to use up older cukes as any bitterness isn't apparent with all the other seasonings.

The others you mention, especially dill relishes, are very different flavors from the Heinz relish put out for use on hot dogs.

Using relishes and chutneys open a whole new world of wonderful flavors for meats and sandwiches and salads. Hard for us to get along without them in out house.

Dave

I'd rather make something you can eat as a side dish like piccalilli or chow chow. I cook rather plain b/c DD is a picky eater, we put sauces and stuff on the plate (though DH does BBQ and leaves sauce off her meat). The 3 of us liked the BlueberryChipotle Chutney I made from malna's recipe.

I'll make a few half pints of hot dog relish for DH, but I think I'm going to use most of these along with squash, peppers, and green beans picked this weekend for Linda Z's Piccalilli. I've also got some huge green catfaced tomatoes I just picked (low-hanging fruit, figured why bother letting them ripen or get chewed on by some critter).

Original (makes 7 pints):

• 14 cups chopped pickling cucumbers (about 5 pounds pickling cucumbers as purchased)
• 2 cups chopped red bell pepper
• 5½ cups cider vinegar (5%)
• 3 teaspoons dill seed
• 6 cloves garlic, minced
• 5 tablespoons pickling or canning salt

To make just about 6 half pints divide by 7 and multiply by 3:
• 6 cups chopped pickling cucumbers (about 2 pounds pickling cucumbers as purchased)
• 3/4 cup chopped red bell pepper (or jalapeno? All I have is green which won't be as pretty)
• 2 1/3 cups cider vinegar (5%) (or increase to 2.5?)
• 1 - 1.25 teaspoon dill seed
• 2.5 cloves garlic, minced (about 1.25 tsp, I'd probably just use 1tsp)
• 6.5 tsp pickling or canning salt

Can I throw in some mustard seed, maybe cut dill and garlic to 1 tsp each and add 1 tsp mustard seed?

Dave

Hmm, since DH doesn't like sweet pickles do you really think the Pickle Relish will be good for him? The rest of us don't eat relish on our dogs at all. Though 2C of sugar for 9 pints isn't bad...esp. with 6C of white vinegar (I'd probably use ACV). Again, I'd divide everything by 3 since that makes 9 pints and I think I should make 6 half pints at most in case he doesn't like it (and maybe I should only make 3 half pints the first time?).

Have you ever tried pickle relish on a hot dog? If not then you are missing out. :)

Dave

"Add cucumbers, peppers, onions, salt, and ice to water and let stand 4 hours. Drain and re-cover vegetables with fresh ice water for another hour. Drain again. "

So put the whole 3/4C salt into 4C of water with the 4qt (or so) of veggies and 2C of ice, or 8C of water and 4C of ice (and then don't measure the ice water the 2nd time, just cover, or at that point I won't have 4C of ice left in freezer so just use whatever I have)?

I don't want this to turn out too salty by putting all that salt in half the water called for if I'm reading this incorrectly!